Hollow Eyes
by Akane Airi
Summary: Ichigo finds himself in a battle against an unusually strong hollow with Rukia. After Urahara, Jinta, and Ururu show up to help he is thrown into a skyscraper where he meets a strange girl with golden Hollow like eyes. She asks him a startling question.
1. Chapter 1

Hollow Eyes

Crash! Ichigo leapt out of the way as the hollows huge purple fist crashed down in a massive punch. It spun around and lashed out with its tail, but Ichigo easily dodged ducking under it and running to the side as it sliced a nearby car in half. Unsheathing his sword Ichigo leapt in the air and was about to slice the hollow open as easily as soft butter when Rukia yelled, "This ones mine Ichigo move it, Some no mai… Tsukishiro!"

Ichigo jumped back just in time as a huge pillar of ice shot out of the air, completely encasing the hollow.

"That was rather easy, even though there has been an abnormal amount of hollows around Karakura town lately it hasn't been an issue for us at all. Right Ichigo?" Rukia turned around smiling brightly.

"Don't ast as if nothing just happened! What the hell did you think you were doing? You almost killed me too!" snapped Ichigo.

"It wouldn't have happened if you were more vigilant, you are completely at fault Kurosaki-kun," Rukia said whipping back around and began striding away.

"Wha…" Ichigo protested.

"If you've got nothing better to do than stand around, come help me erase these peoples memories and wake them up," Rukia said bending over an elderly man passed out on the side walk. Ichigo scowled and strode over to where Rukia was crouching.

"Gross, he's drooling," Ichigo said as he bent over and took a look at the victim, "I don't see why we can't just leave this to the people in Soul Socie… Rukia watch out!"

Ichigo pulled the old man and Rukia out of the way just in time as the hollow broke free of Rukia's pillar of ice and lunged directly at them with a mighty roar.

The hollow quickly spun around and again launched itself at Rukia and Ichigo it's lizard like head practically frothing at the mouth.

"It's gotten faster! How's this possible, my Some no mai should have been more than enough to take care of this level of hollow!" Rukia yelled across to Ichigo as they dodged another almost fatal blow, "How did it suddenly become so powerful?"

"Now who isn't being vigilant," Ichigo yelled back swinging his sword at the hollows tail only to be blocked as it lashed toward him in a great sweeping motion.

"I should just let it eat you!" yelled Rukia.

"Now, now, this isn't the time to be arguing!" Urahara said in a humorous tone as he skipped around a corner, "My, you seem to be having quite some trouble with this low level hollow, hmmm… maybe you're loosing your touch Ichigo."  
"If you going to randomly appear try and be useful for once!" shouted Ichigo as he nearly escaped being bashed in the head with on of the hollows six legs.

"Not if you're going to be so rude about it," replied Urahara unfurling his fan and holding it in front to his face.

"Urahara-san! Gomenasai! Ichigo's an idiot! Please help us!" yelled Rukia, arms raised, as she blocked some ruble flying towards her from a blast.

"Hey!" snapped Ichigo.

"Ok, then," replied Urahara and raised his cane, "Ururu, Jinta! Go!"

"Wha… hey," Ichigo snapped, "Wait a minute! I can deal with this myself."

"Clearly, Mr. Strawberry," yelled Jinta running passed him, "Jinta home run!"

Jinta jumped up and smacked the hollow upside the head with a large metal bat. It flew sideways.

"Got'cha," yelled Jinta.

Suddenly, the hollows tail reached out and wrapped its tail around Ichigo's waist, pulling him back and flinging him up through the fifth-story skyscraper window. Ichigo flew back ward hitting and knocking over desks and chairs till he hit the water cooler, which burst soaking his kimono. He moaned, everything was blurry, slowly his eyesight returned to him. Papers slowly floated down all over the wrecked office, a stapler was stuck through one of the upturned, thin cubicle walls. Ichigo reached for his sword. It wasn't there. He jumped to his feet and looked around franticly, he had to go back and protect his friends, even if they all had been jerks to him today. He spun around and saw a huge hole in the wall were a desk had burst through. There in the rubble Ichigo saw Zangetsu's handle, it was sticking out from the mess of plaster and shattered wood. He jumped through the hole in the wall, and on top of the pile of ruble in the hallway. He reached forward and in one heave pulled Zangetsu out of the debris. He was about to jump out from the hallway window and back into the brawl when he hear the faint squeak, squeak of a cheap office chair rolling down the hallway behind him, and it was picking up speed. Ichigo turned around just soon enough to see a teenaged girl with long black hair barreling down the hallway, with her knees tucked in, on an office chair. A wheel on the chair suddenly hit a loose rock and the chair swerved and toppled over, throwing the girl five feet before she lay sprawled out, face down on the hallway floor next to Ichigo. Ichigo still in shock of what just randomly occurred, dumbly looked down at her with a glazed over stare.

"Are you ok?" asked Ichigo in a bit of a far away voice, still unable to grasp the previous events that had, so completely randomly taken place, "…I said are you o… that's right she can't hear or see me."

The girl's hand suddenly shot forward grabbing Ichigo's ankle.

"Gahhh!" screamed Ichigo suddenly, then again awkward silence.

Finally, the girl raised her head a trickle of blood making it's way down her forehead, even as stupid and mangle as she looked, she was still beautiful and very pale. She had a small heart shaped face, with large golden doe like eyes and small red lips. If there were one word to describe her with, it would be dainty.

Just as Ichigo was in the midst of taking in the strange, dainty girl she burst out in an almost melodic voice, which sounded somehow off with the force and accusing tone with which it was so suddenly put forth, "What exactly are you?"

"Um… I think the question here is who are you? And, what are you doing barreling down a busted up office hallway on a wheelie chair while people out there are being attacked!" Ichigo's voice raised in volume as he went on, "Also, how can you see me? Or, maybe it should be, why don't you seem surprised to see me at all?"

"Should I be?" She asked cocking her head to one side with and innocent stare, "Oh, and I was riding the chair because it looked like fun. Oh, and my name's Alida."

Strange, was all Ichigo could think. He took it back, if one word could describe this girl it wasn't dainty, no definitely not dainty, she was insane. Also, what was with her eyes, they were an unnaturally golden color and gave him an uneasy feeling, almost like a… but no, she was human, not a hollow, she wasn't even an Arrancar she had no mask and she'd have a larger Reiatsu if she was a Vizard. Ichigo suddenly caught his breath, he had always could tell when someone had Reiatsu or not, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find even the smallest shred of Reiatsu coming from this girl. He tried to pull his foot away but her hand tightened, to an almost bone crushing grip.

"You never answered my question, Kurosaki Ichigo, what exactly are you?" Alida said in a once again hostile tone, "And I don't mean if you're a spirit or not, so don't feed be that BS."

"What do you mean then," Ichigo asked angrily, at least he hopped it wasn't as uneasy sounding as he felt, and how did she know his name?

"I mean, Ichigo, are you a Shiginami? Or…" Alida paused for a moment, "A Hollow. Because you know, Ichigo, your not allowed be both."

Alida stared up at him her golden eyes seemed to flicker like fire, a fire that could see into the darkest recesses of his soul. He stood there paralyzed, unable to move. Suddenly, a loud crash shook the building as the hollow outside was slammed into the side of the building, the loud noise disoriented them both apparently because Alida looked slightly confused and her grip loosened just enough.

Finally snapping out of his WTF-just-happened-shock, Ichigo took the opportunity to jerk his foot away from Alida's grasp and bolt out of the hallway window, crashing through the glass as epically as the guy in the mission impossible III trailer. The hollow stood just below him and Ichigo landed on it's back taking it by surprise, raised his sword and cut through its mask. The hollow slowly disintegrated into blue, almost star like soul particle that floated upward and finally faded into nothing.

"That took you long enough," Jinta yelled from across the street, "Did you pass out Mr. Strawberry."

"I did not pass out! And I killed it didn't I!" Ichigo yelled stamping his foot.

"The fight was practically over," Rukia replied, "It was already pretty much finished."

"Well if you didn't pass out what were you doing up there," Ishida asked. Ichigo spun around and faced Ishida, Chad, and Inoue.

"Whoa! When did you guys get here," exclaimed Ichigo.

"That's not important," replied Ishida coolly pushing his glasses up with two fingers, "Are you going to answer my question or not Kurosaki?"

"Oh! That's right" Ichigo said jumping a little bit his tone suddenly turning cool, his eyebrows creased as remembered Alida and the question she had asked him. Rukia and Urahara exchanged glances.

"There was this girl…" Ichigo began.

"Eh!" exclaimed Inoue.

"Oh, that explains everything!" Followed Jinta.

"Just Shut Up Will You!" Ichigo snapped, "Oh, not you Inoue. Uhg! I mean! She wasn't normal, she could see me, and her eyes were like a hollow's. I mean she looked completely human besides that but her eyes and then she asked me… um… she asked me… if I was a Shiginami or a Hollow." Urahara raised his eyebrows, along with everyone else.

"I mean how would she know that, I mean… she even knew my name and then she said some stuff about me not being allowed to be both or something. I mean Shiginami or Hollow," Ichigo stopped and his sentence hung in the air.

"Do by any chance know where this girl is now," asked Urahara.

"Uhhhhh…" Ichigo replied glancing up at the broken window he had burst forth from only minutes ago. Ichigo jumped upwards and threw the window with everyone else.

"I lost my sword on impact at first and then it was in this ruble pile so I came to get it. I dislodged it and then… Alida… that was her name, came speeding down the hallway on an office chair and then crashed and just lay face down on the floor for a while, actually she kinda lay on the floor the whole time after that but, whatever, she grabbed my ankle and started talking nonsense," Ichigo explained.

"Can you tell us what she looked like?" asked Urahara.

"At first I thought she was kind of pretty and all but then I came to the conclusion she was just insane," Ichigo replied.

"Can you elaborate," Rukia replied curtly.

"What jealous?" Ichigo sneered.

"Like I ever would!" Rukia snapped blushing.

"I would like it if you could elaborate too," cut in Urahara.

"Well she was really pale, she had long black hair, golden eyes like I said, and looked about fifteen, she was… kind of dainty, but let me tell you she had one freaking hard grip!" Ichigo replied.

"Hmmm… interesting," Ishida suddenly cut in, "So would you say she looked like an Arrancar without a mask?"

"Exactly," Ichigo replied.

"Didn't that one Espada say that the less mask one had and the more they resembled a human the more powerful they were," Ishida continued, "but that's impossible… even though we were fighting, there's no way an Arrancar that powerful could just waltz in unnoticed unless they had some way to mask their Reiatsu…"

"Well actually… she didn't have ant Reiatsu at all… not even a human amount, just nothing," Ichigo replied.

"Very interesting and worrisome," Rukia joined the conversation, "I mean if there really are and Arrancar left, especially one that powerful that could hide it's Reiatsu we can't just leave it be, but why would it come after Ichigo and not to kill him… but ask him if… if he was a Shiginami or a Hollow at that."

"I agree, we should definitely look into this," replied Urahara, "Come to my house and lets discuss this there. If this girl truly can mask all of her Reiatsu then we may still not be completely alone." Everyone quickly looked around.

"Ok, guys let's go," replied Ichigo and they jumped out of the window and rand down the street toward Urahara's shop.

To be continued….


	2. Chapter 2

Hollow Eyes Ch. 2

Ichigo sat down across from Urahara at the small brown table in Urahara's shop. Ishida, Chad, and Jinta were already sitting down when Ururu and Inoue came in with some tea.

"So this girl, Alida, we aren't quite sure what she is quite yet, but for now we're assuming that she is, in fact, an Arrancar of unknown power levels who can mask her Reiatsu completely," Urahara started, "Ichigo are you sure there's absolutely nothing else you can tell us about her that will give us some sort of hint as to who she could be?"

"I'm sure that's all I know, I mean it wasn't the most informative conversation and all, though we do have her name that must count for something, though it is a bit odd," replied Ichigo.

"Well that's because Alida is Latin. It means small winged one," Urahara explained, "What's more troubling is that this tells us nothing at all because Latin is a dead language."

"Huh?" asked Ichigo dumbly.

"It means it isn't used any more, it's an ancient language that was used by the Romans over 2,000 years ago," replied Ishida, "If you didn't miss so much school you would know this."

"Like your one to talk," grunted Ichigo, "Anyway where in the world is Rukia? I mean she's taking forever."

"She's calling soul society and giving a report on the days events," Inoue replied, "She was talking to Byakuya Taicho in the kitchen when we were in there last."

"Still there's not much to report," Ichigo continued, "What are they talking about that's taking so long?"

"I think they were discussing an idea of Mayuri Taicho's that if the girl is indeed related to the hollows, maybe she was the one who caused the sudden increase of power in the hollow we were fighting," replied Ururu.

"Hmmm… that maybe be so, but still I would think she'd have to give off some Reiatsu in order to do so, unless it isn't an ability she uses consciously…" Urahara said closing his fan and tapping the tip against his chin, his eyebrows creased and he continued, "If that is the case, that would explain the large numbers of slightly more powerful than normal Hollows that seem to hanging around Karakura Town lately. How long ago did Rukia start getting more readings on her Hollow tracker?"

"Um… I think it was about two weeks ago," Ichigo replied scratching his head, "There were a couple of more difficult ones around then, but I think the numbers really started picking up around last Saturday."

"So then about a week… If this girl is the cause then we can assume she's been around for about one to two weeks," Urahara calculated, "But if she's been around so long, why did she wait so long to come in contact with Ichigo, if that was her original goal?"

"Why else would she be here though?" asked Rukia abruptly leaning against the doorframe.

"Whoa Rukia! You've got to stop coming into people's rooms so quietly you'll give someone a heart attack one day," said Ichigo jumping back.

"I am a Shiginami," Rukia replied.

Ichigo scowled and sat back down at the table, "So any new theories from Mayuri or Byakuya?"

"Not really, no one in Soul Society has ever run into something like this before. They're just as confused as we are, although Mayuri Taicho is ecstatic about having some new research material or something like that. Anyway Ichigo, it's always something new with you isn't it."

"It's not like I ask for this stuff to happen to me," Ichigo snapped.

"Well then, shall we get back on topic," Urahara again cut in.

"I've been thinking," Chad said suddenly, "If we need so much more information on this girl and she is after Ichigo, shouldn't we just wait until she tries to contact him again." Silence.

"That's a good idea Chad, we could use Ichigo as bait to lure her out," replied Urahara.

"Hmmm… I see that makes sense," agreed Rukia.

"Wha… hey! Look here, what about my opinion," Ichigo exclaimed, he did not wan to meet Alida again one on one, he still remember that piercing stare of hers.

"Overruled!" replied said everyone at once; with the exception of Inoue who looking apologetically at him in the corner quietly said, "Sorry Kurosaki-kun even I think it's a good plan."

"Whatever," growled Ichigo, "What am I even supposed to do to lure her out just wander around?"

"Sure. Take a walk Kurosaki-kun," replied Urahara.

Ichigo stood up abruptly and stalked out of the room, Inoue began to get up but sat back down and looked at her hands when Rukia dashed out after Ichigo. Ichigo was almost to the door when Rukia grabbed his wrist.

"Be careful, ok Ichigo?" Rukia said sincerely, "I know I've been teasing you a bit too much lately but don't use that as an excuse to give your messiah complex a run, k? Don't act rashly. We don't even know if she's a threat yet. You don't have to save us all, every time, you can let me, I mean, us help out too sometimes."

"Thanks Rukia," Ichigo replied without looking toward her, "But that girl… she is a threat, I know it. The way I felt when she looked at me… was as if, it was as if she could see into my soul. As if she knew everything about me just from looking at me. I couldn't even move, and that can't happen again if we need to take her down."

"Ichigo," Rukia whispered softly, "I know you, when the time comes you'll be ok, because you always bounce back."

Ichigo peaked over his shoulder and replied, "Thanks."

Ichigo ran out the door and smiled. Even if Rukia was a pain most of the time she was a good friend, he could always count on her. He ran back home quickly and returned to his body. He always felt stiff after being in Shiginami form for too long. He changed his shirt and jumped out the window, slid down the roof, and back onto the street. As he walked down the road alone he could feel the air-cooling down as evening set in. He walked down by the river and paused. The sun was setting and illuminated the sky with a beautiful arrangement of oranges, reds, and yellows.

"I wonder if you'd approve of me and all the adventures I've been going on lately, Mom," Ichigo said to himself, smiling sadly. He walked down the hill some ways and sat down on the grass. He played with a small pebble until the sun went down and the air began to get chilly. He stood up and through the stone into the lake.

"Well, if doesn't look like I'll be seeing Alida again today, might as well head home. Yuzu probably has dinner waiting," Ichigo mumbled and then let out a sigh of relief. He was secretly glad she hadn't shown up. Suddenly the streetlight blinked out and the air got colder, Ichigo stopped dead.

"Awww, were you waiting for me? With the way you ran away earlier I didn't think you would want to talk to me any more," chimed that all too familiar melodic voice.

Ichigo whipped around, "Alida."

"Hai!" replied Alida lifting a hand in the air. She was no longer wearing the casual attire she'd been wearing earlier that day. She was now dressed in a pure white summer dress that cut off at her knees and some white-heeled sandal. It was a thin light fabric with flowers embroidered in white down the side. Under the almost full moon above her pale skin and dress glowed in a ghostly light. Her yellow eyes gleaming, reflecting the moonlight like cats eyes as her long black hair tossed slightly in a small breeze.

"Thank you for noticing my new dress, Ichigo, I bought it this afternoon after you ditched me," Alida said in sweet tone, "So do you have an answer for me?"

"You mean if I'm a Shiginami or a Hollow?" asked Ichigo, his whole body tense. It felt so wrong to be around someone who had no Reiatsu at all. He felt like he was talking to thin air.

"That's the one," replied Alida taking a step forward, "And don't be too scared Ichi, I won't hurt you… yet"

"Earlier you said I couldn't be both. Why?" asked Ichigo resisting to take a step back as she advanced.

"It's against the rules Ichi. Your friends the Vizards aren't Shiginami anymore so they don't count. Plus, their Hollows aren't as developed as yours," Alida went on continuing to advance until she stood only a foot away from Ichigo, "Shiginami and Hollows are enemies, what you are is not natural. You're not supposed to be both, it's forced. It's an abomination."

Ichigo and Alida stood in silence staring at one another. Ichigo wanted to run away, his soul was restless.

"Well I am what I am," Ichigo went on carefully, "what will you say if I say I want to be both."

"Indecisiveness is a very undesirable trait Ichigo," Alida said coolly, loosing all the playfulness in her tone, "If you can't choose I'll choose for you. I'll take your Hollow from you. Ichigo it's against the rules, what you are."

"Against the rules! Whose rules? What gives you the right to make that decision? Why can't you leave me alone!" Ichigo's voiced raised in the nights silence and seemed to echo in the darkness.

"Well, I suppose they're my rules, my father's rules, my family's rules, and that's why it's my duty to reinforce them. Ichigo you are so naive to the world around you and so are your little Shiginami friends. Your almost as ignorant as any of the normal people who live in these houses," Alida went on gesturing to the rows of houses with a sweeping motion of her hand, "You know so little and yet you act so important. You all think you are the most powerful thing out there. That you can conquer any foe, but let me tell you something Ichigo there are things out there far more powerful than any of you could imagine."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo replied this time getting angry, his chest hurt now as if something was trying to claw its way out, "How dare you call my friends weak! Have you seen them fight! Your little Hollow buddies have told us before that there were power levels we couldn't even imagine. Why is what you say any different? You know what we kicked their asses to kingdom come all by ourselves!"

"What are you talking about," replied Alida, her voice taking on a razor edge, "Do you honestly believe that? You may have defeated a few on your own that may be deemed to have strength on some level, but they were by far the weakest of the Espada and their Fraccion."

"So you are a Hollow!" exclaimed Ichigo.

"That's why I say you are naïve Ichigo Kurosaki! I do have relations to what you call Hollows, but I am at the same time on a completely different level from those pathetic soul eaters! Even those mistakes that fool Aizen created couldn't hold a candle to me, or anyone of my family. Unlike the things created from the Hogyoku, we evolved on our own, with no help! We did not need to be babied into resembling human forms. We were born this way."

"B… Born that way?" Ichigo stuttered, "How's that even possible, hollow can't really replicate. Can they?"

"Ichigo. Shiginami are not the only ones with a Royal family," Alida replied her eyes piercing as she stared at him, letting the words sink in, "And as I was saying before, YOU are WEAK! Your HOLLOW is the one that is STRONG! Without it, you would have never beat Ulquiorra Cifer, or Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez! Without the Vizard's help you would not even have been able to keep control of yourself! And Aizen was the one to finish off the last of the Espada, NOT your friends if that's what you ever thought! I have seen them fight, your friends, more than even you, and I can say that they are weak! You and that Aizen fool, woke me and my family from our sleep, barging in and making such a mess of Hueco Mundo! Do not mistake the power of the Hollow that sleeps within you for your own. As you of all people should know you are completely different entities who reside within the same shell and so, if you fail to make your choice, I will take that Hollow from you and make it into an entity within its own right. Freeing it from the control of its weaker partner!"

Ichigo stood stunned, his hands shaking in the freezing cold of the night. Alida stood now, barley and inch from him her brow furrowed and eyes burning with anger.

"If you think, after all it took, all you lost, you and your friends to defeat the Arrancar and your own Hollow, you have a chance, all of you, in defeating only me never the less the rest of my family. You are making a sore mistake. A mistake that will cost all of you your lives," Alida continued her tone now murderous, "I will give you one week to decide who and what you will be. On the night the moon is full I will find you here and you can tell be your answer. Until then we will see little if any of each other."

As soon as Alida hissed out the last word she spun around walked two steps and a huge black tunnel opened in mid air. She strode right into the door way and then spun around to face Ichigo one last time.

"If you think, that some how you will fool me or defeat me and not make a decision by the deadline. Do not be disillusioned. The consequences will be great, and many, and not only limited to you and your immediate family, but your friends as well, whether they be Shiginami or human," she whispered menacingly, and the portal shut in the blink of an eye with a small vibrating snap.

Ichigo stood there numb in the freezing cold. The air seemed like ice as the streetlight flickered back on. Ichigo squinted as the light hit his eyes. He'd been in the dark for so long. Alida's words had pierced him like a knife. He had always been so sure, so utterly confident there was nothing he couldn't do, no battle he couldn't win, and no person he couldn't save. What did Rukia call it? Right, a messiah complex. Ichigo slowly took a step forward his stiff legs barley moving, as his tightened muscles slowly relaxed. He had felt this feeling after his Hollow had taken over after nearly being killed by Ulquiorra. He was no match for this strange girl, who claimed to be part of the Hollow's Royal Family. Despair gripped the inside of his chest and seemed to spread and consume him inside. Then suddenly he remembered what Rukia had said, "…when the times comes you'll be ok, you always bounce back."

A light breeze tussled his hair and seemed to wash over him and sweep away his worries. His chest no longer hurt, the feeling of that something that seemed to want to go towards Alida at any cost was gone. Everything would work out somehow, it always had. No matter what, he would ensure the safety of his friends and family, even if it meant he had to give up his Hollow.

To Be Continued…


End file.
